Join us at the campfire for tales from around the world, told by storytellers of all backgrounds and creeds. From the heros and heroines of old, let us relearn and rediscover the wisdom of our ancestors. Shhh..the story begins..
Introduction: Throughout history and across a multitude of cultures, the Owl has been regarded with fascination and awe. There are few other creatures endowed with so many different and contradictory beliefs. The Owl has, in turn, been both feared and venerated...despised and admired...considered to be wise and, on the other hand, foolish...bearing associations with witchcraft, medicine, the weather, birth and death. In early American Indian folklore, the Owl was representative of wisdom and the ability to lend aid, to say nothing of possessing the power of prophecy, a theme which recurs in Aesop's Fables and Greek myths. By the Middle Ages in Europe, the Owl had become the companion of witches and the inhabitant of dark, lonely, even profane places...a foolish but feared spectre of the midnight hours. The appearance of an Owl at night, when people felt helpless and blinded by the darkness, linked the bird with the unknown, its eerie call filling those who heard the sound with foreboding and apprehension...perhaps even a sign that death was imminent or some evil was close at hand. During the 18th Century, the zoological aspects of the Owl was detailed through close observation, thus reducing the mystery which surrounded this bird, but in the realm of legend, the Owl continues to be the "bird of doom...the bird which, according to a 12th Century Kentish preacher, stole the rose...a prize awarded for beauty...and was henceforth punished by the other birds who forevermore after permitted the thieving Owl to come out only at night...but that is another story.
Blodeuwedd, also known as the "Woman of Flowers" or "Flower-Face," was fashioned from nine powerful and potent blossoms...mountain-primrose, broom, meadow-sweet, cockle, bean, nettle, oak, thorn and chestnut. Created for a specific purpose...to marry the cursed Llew Llaw Gyffes, who was destined never to have a human wife...Blodeuwedd came to life fully-grown and knew nothing of the lessons to be learned as one matures from infancy to adulthood.
Nevertheless, Bloduewedd lived happily in the Catrev of Dinadig with her husband, a wise and skilled lord. She behaved well. She walked, talked and dressed as she was told to do, but lacked experience and had never known what it meant to make her own choices. Leading a sheltered life such as this, it was hardly surprising that she became fascinated with a passing hunting party led by Gronw Pebyr, Lord of Penllyn.
Llew had left to pay a visit upon his Uncle Gwydion a few days prior to the party's arrival, so Bloduewedd was accompanied only by her ladies when she noticed the hunting party from the castle grounds. Being a noble and gracious lady, Bloduewedd invited Gronw to spend the night at her home and sit at her table for the evening meal. The couple sat and talked far into the night and Bloduewedd found that she was strongly attracted to this handsome stranger. In turn, Gronw was smitten by Bloduewedd's beauty, charm and air of innocence.
Although Gronw had every intention of taking his leave the following morning, Bloduewedd easily persuaded him to stay for one more day...and then another...and then another...until finally, they searched for a way to be together for ever. Despite the fact that Bloduewedd had informed Gronw that her husband was extremely strong, most unlikely to die any time in the near future and, most importantly, could not be killed (since the circumstances of Llew's death was surrounded by a host of magical preconditions), Gronw insisted and instructed Bloduewedd to find out exactly what it would take to kill Llew.
As soon as her husband returned, Bloduewedd pretended to have been in fear for his safety during the trip and begged Llew to tell her how anyone would be able to kill him. Llew was amused by Bloduewedd's concern and eventually informed her that he could only be slain by a spear which had been worked on for a year and a day, and then only while Llew was neither in a house or without, nor on a horse or on foot. Bloduewedd was perplexed by the riddle and implored Llew to speak in plain language. Laughing, Llew finally related to his wife the solution...if a bath were prepared for him at the edge of a river with a roof covering the cauldron of water, and if Llew were to stand with one foot on the edge of the cauldron and the other on a buck-goat, then the specially-worked spear would be able to kill him.
Immediately, Bloduewedd sent word to Gronw, who began working on the spear that very same day. After one year and one day, Gronw let Bloduewedd know that the spear was ready and again, Bloduewedd spoke to her husband about the strange scenario which could bring about his death. Bloduewedd maintained that she found it difficult to believe that any man could maintain balance while standing with one foot on the edge of a cauldron and the other placed on a buck-goat. Amused once more at her childlike questioning and eager to please his wife, Llew had everything prepared as he had described and then went to take his bath.
The moment he set one foot upon the edge of the cauldron and the other upon the buck-goat, Gronw threw the spear on which he had worked and, with deadly accuracy, struck his intended target in the side. As the spear wounded him, Llew was transformed into an eagle and flew upward, crying out with the pain which pierced not only his body, but also his soul for the trickery shown him by his beloved wife.
Bloduewedd and Gronw returned to Llew's castle, looking forward to a long and happy life together...but such was not to be.
Gwydion, Llew's uncle, was sad and very angry about what had happened, for he loved Llew as though he were his own son. Gwydion searched diligently for Llew and finally found him in eagle-form. Touching his nephew with a magick wand, Gwydion returned Llew to human form, whereupon Llew asked for retaliation on Blodeuwedd for her treachery and both Gwydion and Math, the magician who had created Blodeuwedd from flowers, agreed to help him.
When Blodeuwedd learned that Llew, Gwydion and Math were on their way to mete out punishment, she fled with her ladies unto the mountains. While crossing a river, however, the horrified Blodeuwedd was obliged to watch as all her ladies drowned, leaving her alone to face Gydion's powerful magick. He placed a curse upon her...made of her a creature of the night, doomed never again to see the light of the blessed Sun...Blodeuwedd would forever be an Owl.
As for Gronw, he eventually died by Llew's hand.
Novareinna welcomes all tale-travelers to Penumbra, her beautiful site/sight of stories and poetry and design.
A section has been added to Penumbra entitled "Rainbow Bridge," dedicated to the memory of our beloved animal companions. It features various pieces of work, whose words, it is hoped, will bring solace and comfort to those who have lost a dear little furry (or feathered or scaled...etc.) one.
It contains an area known as "BlueBird Bower" where a memorial may be placed by anyone upon request in the name of their departed pet (no species refused).
Just click on "RainBow Bridge" on the home page to access the area in question.
